Sample Hamlet Thesis Statements:

On the topic of sanity/madness:

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the protagonist contrives a complex plot to seek vengeance for his father’s death and as he pushes the limit in his mission, he progressively blurs the line between sanity and insanity creating a parallel to the state of purgatory.

On the topic of revenge:

In Hamlet’s case, revenge becomes a malevolent spirit who possessed the protagonist, driving him to insanity and forcing him to lash out at those who it deemed “collateral damage” or deserving of punishment. Let it be said that Claudius’ crimes were abhorrent: murdering Hamlet’s father to gain the boons of the throne and ultimately, his wife, a crime that deprived Hamlet of the throne and left him appalled at his uncle’s gall and his mother’s betrayal. This ultimately led young Hamlet vulnerable to possession from “his father’s spirit”, and the Court of Elsinore was soon running red with the blood of many. The tragedy of Hamlet ultimately served as a lesson, as its author, William Shakespeare elucidates on how revenge can corrupt, and ultimately drag even the smartest and paramount of men into a cycle of sin, poison, and death.

In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet is ultimately responsible for the plague of death spreading through Denmark due to his selfish actions and his increasing lack of empathy throughout the play, allowing Shakespeare to depict how quickly revenge will take over a person's mind.

On the characters in Hamlet and their decisions:

Through his portrayal of his three mirror characters in Hamlet- Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras- William Shakespeare conveys that our choices and actions matter far more than the circumstances present in our lives.

On the topic of uncertainty:

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet’s battle with his inner-demons and the presence of the Ghost in Denmark are representations of the uncertainty that exists throughout the play and life in general.